Monday, February 22, 2010

A Pictorial History of Victorian Wisconsin

A Pictorial History of Victorian Wisconsin at the WHS. "...The Annie Schildhauer collection provides an intimate look at family, architecture, interiors and fashion in Victorian Wisconsin (between 1885 and 1900). Public interest in photography grew exponentially during those years. Previous conventions established the practice as mere documentation, however with its growing popularity photography gradually grew into a new venue of artistic interpretation. Technological advancements such as the transition from glass plates to flexible film prompted simpler methods and smaller cameras, which paved the way for many individuals, men and women, to dabble in the new art of photography.Late 19th-century Wisconsin boasted a plethora of Victorian details. With memories of the Civil War still fresh, the style of the time was playful — with whimsical ornamentation, and a taste for the eclectic."